


Memories

by pulangaraw



Category: White Collar
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-05
Updated: 2010-09-05
Packaged: 2017-10-11 12:03:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/112209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pulangaraw/pseuds/pulangaraw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five memories that El collected for her photo album.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Memories

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my Schmoop Bingo card.

1.  
Neal quietly came up the stairs with the breakfast tray. He'd managed to slip out of their shared bed half an hour ago, without waking either El or Peter. It was Sunday morning and both deserved a lie-in. Well, they all deserved a lie-in, but Neal had always been an early riser and he'd been planning to surprise them for a while now.

It was possible to see through the bedroom doorway once he was halfway up the stairs. Peter and El were still sound asleep. Neal was struck by the view: the sheet had tangled up around them and both their feet were visible at the end of the bed.

Neal smiled, set the tray down quietly and went for the digital camera El had recently bought. “Family pictures are important,” she'd said over Peter's and Neal's protests and promptly snapped a few horrible shots. While she was good a pretty much everything else, photography was not one of El's talents.

It was one of Neal's though.

Crouching low to get a good view of their tangled feet, he snapped a black-and-white picture. Then inspiration hit him and he moved one of the chairs to set the camera down, activated the timer and crawled back into bed, twining his feet with theirs.

 

A few days later, El found the pictures while she was clearing the memory card. She smiled, printed them out and added them to her personal collection.

 

2.  
“Come back to bed,” Peter said, sticking his head out from under the sheet.

“In a moment,” Neal answered, rummaging through a pile of clothes on one of the armchairs and offering Peter a lovely view of his backside.

“El,” Peter said, “have a look at that.”

El stuck her head out next to Peter and grinned, “I wish I had my camera.”

“As you wish,” said Neal, and a moment later there was a click and flash.

Peter thumped his head into the mattress with a groan, “Why'd you have to buy that camera, El?”

 

3.  
Every time Peter watched Neal and his wife together he was struck by how beautiful they both were. Their bodies fit like they were made for each other and their smooth, sensual movement on the bed left Peter feeling so aroused he could barely move.

Every time Peter watched them embrace and kiss and stroke each other's skin, he felt the urge to capture their beauty, to hold onto the moment and make it last forever.

 

4.  
El was sitting on their bed, fiddling with the camera, when Peter came home.

“Hey, honey,” he said, loosening his tie.

El looked up at him and smiled. “Hello, Peter. I have a surprise for you.”

“Oh?”

“Hm-hm.” She pointed at the wardrobe, her smile turning mischievous. It was clear there was something going on. “Why don't you have a look?”

With a sense of foreboding, Peter stepped to the wardrobe and opened the door.

“Happy Birthday, Peter!” Neal said, standing – completely naked, the rational part of Peter's stunned brain observed – in the wardrobe.

Peter stared, then stepped back and pointed at Neal. “You're supposed to be in Barcelona.”

Neal lifted his hands in a not-so-innocent shrug, “I couldn't miss your birthday, Peter.”

Something in Peter's brain clicked – this was Neal, _his_ Neal, what was he waiting for? He grabbed the other man by the wrist and hauled him towards the bed.

“So, you are my present,” Peter said, pushing Neal onto the mattress.

“As you wish.”

Next to them, El laughed.

There was a click and a flash. Neal used Peter's surprise to flip them both over and started unbuttoning Peter's shirt. “What would you like to do with your present, Peter?”

“Oh, I have some ideas.”

 

4.  
“It's amazing!” El said, taking in the view. “You can see the whole of Paris.”

“Over there is Sacré-Cœur,” Neal pointed out, “We should go there. It's beautiful.”

El turned to Peter, who shrugged good-naturedly, “I could think of more interesting things to do with our afternoon, but if you insist...” He leered at Neal.

El laughed and lightly punched his arm. “Stop it, you. There's time for that later.”

She approached another visitor, “Would you take a picture of us?”

 

5.  
“Okay,” said El, “Dinner is eaten. Time for presents.”

Peter glanced over at Neal - _presents?_ \- but Neal looked just as surprised as Peter felt. Which calmed Peter down somewhat, because if Neal didn't know what this was about, it meant Peter wasn't the only one who'd forgotten an anniversary.

El continued, “It's actually just one present. For all of us.”

“Oh?” Peter asked.

El got up and took something out of the bureau drawer. She placed it on the table. Both Peter and Neal looked at the neatly wrapped parcel.

“Go on, open it. It won't bite you.”

Neal reached for it first. He undid the wrapping carefully – he never ripped any wrapping, Peter had learned. Inside was an expensive looking photo album. Neal shifted, so Peter could look at the same time, then opened it.

The album was filled with photographs of them. Peter recognized the pictures. Most of them were snapshots they'd taken over the years, some in their home, some while traveling. Some were clearly Neal's work, their composition and colouring truly beautiful.

Peter looked at Neal, who hadn't said a word since he'd first opened the album. He put his arm over Neal's shoulders and pressed a gentle kiss to his temple. Then he reached out and took El's hand.

“Do you like it?” El asked.

“Yes,” Neal said quietly.

“It's perfect,” said Peter.

 

 

The End.


End file.
